A Day at the Bakery
by claryfraying
Summary: He makes it worth getting up every morning. The days when I want to end it, to sink into the darkness that knows me so well, he saves me time and time again. Post MJ.
1. Chapter 1

A Day at the Bakery

A/N: Hey guys! This is my first fan fiction that I have ever done and I'm so excited! I really love The Hunger Games and I always read fan fiction. Here is the first chapter, and I hope you enjoy!

Katniss POV

Things were starting to get back to normal in District 12. More people were moving back and helping rebuild from what was left of the ashes. Gale was still in 2 and unreachable. I didn't mind. After what happened in the square at the Capitol…I don't know what I would say to him. Let alone what I would do. And my mother, after Prim's death, decided to go to 4 and help with the medical facilities. I think she just doesn't want to come back to the monsters that wait for her here in 12. As for Peeta…well he's here. And we're doing better. He's in my bed every night with his arms wrapped around me. His heartbeat and smile have begun to be what I live for. What I get up for in the morning.

My nightmares are still there, vivid and grotesque, and Peeta's flashbacks still make unwanted visits. All I can do is stand there and watch him suffer, and feel endless guilt knowing that he has to go through this because of me. It's on days such as those where I feel like I will never deserve him, can live a hundred lives and still not deserve him, just like Haymitch said. And in the end, Peeta is the one comforting me, of all things. But I guess that's what makes us work.

We've been growing back together slowly here in 12. A kiss, a squeeze of a hand, a caress of a cheek. We were getting there, slowly, but surely. When I woke this morning, I couldn't help but smile when I saw the sun coming in from my window. I just knew that today would be different. After I get dressed and put my hair into my signature braid, I notice the note on a pillow on the side where Peeta sleeps:

_Katniss,_

_ Sorry for leaving you to wake on your own. I had to go to the baker early and fix one of the ovens. Meet me there when you wake?_

_ -Love, Peeta_

Holding the note, I smiled. I loved watching Peeta bake. The way his hands manipulated the dough, how his muscular arms flexed when he kneaded it. I will never understand how his hands that have caressed my face and held mine could make such intricate patterns on a cake with frosting. I went downstairs and grabbed my hunting jacket, and took off for the bakery.

As soon as I entered the door, the smell of freshly baked bread and the warmth of the ovens hit me. I took off my jacket and placed it on the counter and rang the service bell. "One minute!" I heard someone yell. I'm guessing it was Peeta. All of the sudden he appeared, confirming my assumption. I couldn't help but giggle slightly when I saw him. Peeta had flour all over his apron, arms, and hands, and a little on his face. "What?" he asked. "You, um, have some flour on you," I giggle as I go towards him. Peeta looks down at himself. "Oh, very funny, Katniss. I didn't know!" He starts to wipe off the flour from his arms. "Here, you have a little on your face…" I lean towards him and brush some off of his cheek with the pad of my thumb.

There's a moment when he looks into my eyes with his beautiful blue ones. I can always get lost in those eyes. Peeta looks at me and says, "Thank you," and smiles at me. I can't help but blush a little and smile back at him. "Come here" he says and pulls me by the waist. He locks his lips with mine and tightens his grips around my waist. I move my hands up and secure them around his neck. He pushes me into the counter and pins me there. His kiss deepens and I feel that hunger that I do almost every night, when he lingers on a goodnight kiss. I want more. But just as soon as it started, Peeta pulls away, his face flushed. _Such a gentleman_ I think to myself. He never wants to push me.

Peeta sighs and pulls me by my hand. "Come on, I have to show you something." He led me to the back room where I see a table with bowls and mixing ingredients and a clean apron. "Are you hiring someone today?" I ask. "No, not exactly…" he smirks at me. Seeing my confused expression, he only smiles wider. "I'm going to show you how to bake today."

A/N: So, what do you guys think? Sorry that this chapter is a little short. Hopefully Chapter 2 will be up soon. Please rate and review! Thanks! :D


	2. Chapter 2

A Day at the Bakery: Chapter 2

A/N: Wow! You guys make me feel so loved! I saw all of the emails from reviews and story alerts and it made me feel so happy! So, I'd thought I'd would hurry it up and put another chapter on tonight! Enjoy. :3

Previously:

"_Are you hiring someone today?" I ask. "No, not exactly…" he smirks at me. Seeing my confused expression, he only smiles wider. "I'm going to show you how to bake today."_

I look at Peeta blankly for a moment as a huge smile spreads across his face. _He's going to teach me how to bake_. I can't help but smile back at him when give his cheek a quick kiss. "Thank you" I murmur. "No, no, thank _you_," he says as he leads me by the hand to the counter top. "For you" Peeta says as he hands me the apron. I let him place around my neck and tie the string around my waist. He studies me for a moment. "What?" I ask curious. "…Hmm? Oh nothing. I just can't get over how perfect you look in that apron." He smirks. I feel a blush creep across my cheek and I move slightly away from him, embarrassed by his comment. It never ceases to amaze that after all this time, Peeta _still_ has this effect on me.

I roll my eyes when I find him still staring at me and ask, "Alright, let's get this over with. What's first?" I see him smirk at my comment. Peeta knows how much I've always wanted to at least try baking, even though I'm just setting myself up for failure just my being me. "Eager, are we?" he jokes as he picks up a small bag of flour. I simply nudge him with my hip and take the bag of flour from him and open in up. Immediately Peeta doubles over in laughter at my state. The bag exploded flour all over my face. I took a towel and started wiping my face. "Katniss, the flour is supposed to go IN the bowl." I simply scowl and toss the towel at him. He's still chuckling when he begins to measure the flour for me. "Here, put this in the bowl," I take the measuring cup from him and toss the flour in the bowl. "There. I mastered it." I toss at him and see him smile. I figure that if I can survive this, it's enough of an award to see Peeta's smile.

"That was beautiful," Peeta says as he swoops in quickly to kiss my cheek. "Next is all the other dry ingredients." Luckily, they are all pre- measured and I pour them all in the same bowl with the flour. "That's perfect sweetheart. Now, just mix them all together with this." Peeta hands me a spoon and I start mixing. He keeps rambling on about different types of cake you can make, not just vanilla like we were making, but I zoned out. I realized then that I was perfectly content. Here, in the bakery, with Peeta by me and his words filling the empty air. So it makes sense that I didn't notice that I started mixing too hard and ingredients were starting to fly out of the bowl. "Woah, Katniss! Be careful! Might want to keep it in the bowl." I look down and blush, realizing the mess I made. "Oh. Sorry, Peeta, I didn't realize." _I am making so many messes today, what is wrong with me?_ I think to myself as Peeta finishes the ingredients and puts the batter in a pan and into the oven.

"Okay, now we wait for about 30 minutes, and then we can frost," Peeta smiles at me. I turn to him and grin, wrapping my arms around his waist. "Thank you for showing me," I whisper. He chuckles softly. "Well, it didn't exactly turn out how I planned, but I guess you _did _learn something," he says. Before I could respond his lips were on mine and his hands were cupping my face that still had a bit of flour on it. He tasted like sugar and cinnamon, like my boy with the bread. Always sweet and gentle with little surprises. He moved his lips to my neck and I leaned back and closed my eyes, resting my hands on his chest. I didn't realize how hot it was getting in the little space until I felt a light layer of sweat on my forehead. If it was from the heat of the ovens or us, I wasn't positive. I didn't want this sensation to stop. His lips brushed across my collarbone when I surprised myself by letting out a small moan. _Why did I do that? He's just going to pull away._ I inwardly curse myself. But what Peeta does surprises me. He pulls my waist closer to him with his hands and trails his lips back up to mine. I bite his lip playfully and now it's turn to surprise me with a moan of his own. The hunger is back, and this time, I don't want to stop. I don't want Peeta to stop touching me, or his lips to leave my skin…

_Ding!_ I have never despised a time more than I did at that moment. The timer went off on the oven signifying the end of the baking of our little cake. We both untangle ourselves from each other. "I'll..um, go get that…" Peeta stutters. I don't think I've ever heard him stutter. All I know is that that hunger is still there, and there's an emptiness that need to be filled within me. And it's not going to be filled by making a cake.

A/N: Hey, congrats, you finished the second chapter! How did you guys like it? I know, sorry a teeny cliff hanger, apologies! The 3rd chapter will probably be up tomorrow. Read and Review, and make sure to add this story to your alerts! Love! :D


	3. Chapter 3

A Day at the Bakery: Chapter 3

A/N: Told you I would update today! Thank you all for adding me to your alerts! You guys make me feel so happy everytime I get a new email for this story. :D Okay, without further ado, I give you chapter 3.

Previously:

"_I'll..um, go get that…" Peeta stutters. I don't think I've ever heard him stutter. All I know is that that hunger is still there, and there's an emptiness that need to be filled within me. And it's not going to be filled by making a cake._

I sigh internally as I watch Peeta walk away from me and to the oven to retrieve our little cake. I hear him chuckle and I move behind him to see what it was for. Oh. My cake, more his cake than mine though, was all lumpy and discolored. "It's horrible…" I say as I take one of the pans. "No, it's perfect. Imperfections make it unique, just like you," he kisses my cheek and then goes to place the other pan on the counter. I can't help but blush at his comment. Is that really how he thinks of me? A day never goes by when I don't think that I don't deserve this boy—man. This man. But he will always be my boy with the bread.

I go and lean on the counter, studying our work. "So what's next, chef?" I ask, a light smile on my lips. Peeta gives me a playful smirk. "Well, no we get to frost it." Peeta then goes and puts the cakes on top of each other, making a small two-tiered cake. He then walks over to me and hands me a bag filled with frosting. "This is for you. We're going to decorate the cake now. Now be careful just to apply a small amount of pressure so the frosting doesn't go all over the cake. Watch me first," Peeta smiles at me and leans against me, his chest against my back. "Here, like this- gently." He puts his hands around mine that were holding the frosting bag. Peeta squeezes my hands so that frosting comes out and starts making beautiful little pink flowers on the cake. I couldn't believe he could make my hands create these beautiful shapes.

"Here, now you try," he whispers, his breath tickling my neck. Betraying shivers ran down my spine as his lips lightly leave my neck. Peeta doesn't move though. He is still pressed up against my back, his hands instead on my waist. I try to shake the thoughts coming into my head. _Come on Katniss. Not a good idea to be thinking such…primal things in a public place, even though we are in the back of the bakery, alone, and it's closed for the day…_ I shake my head again and squeeze the frosting bag. I can feel Peeta's laughter vibrate against my back as my "flower" becomes a tiny war zone on the cake.

"Oh, Katniss…" Peeta says, his nose skimming my neck, sending chills throughout my body. "I don't think baking is your forte," his hands moving from my waist and run up and down my sides. "Well, I don't think I'm really good at anything, besides hunting. I can't create things like you can, Peeta. Like your paintings. They are always so beautiful…" I trail off and start just using the frosting to make blobs all over the cake. "When I was younger, I used to take…Prim…to the bakery to look at all the pretty cakes in the window. Always so beautiful…." I can feel tears starting to slips down my face and I run my hand across my face. It doesn't get by Peeta, though. "Hey," he says, turning me around. "It's okay, it's okay…" He mumbles reassuring words in my ear as he pulls me into his arm embrace, my arms wrapping around his neck, burying my face into where his neck meets his shoulder. I feel his grip tighten and listen to his steady heartbeat for reassurance. "I miss her so much, Peeta," I sob lightly into his shoulder. He doesn't seem to mind my tears soaking through his shirt. Instead he runs his hand over my braid, planting a kiss at my hairline. I look up and wipe the rest of my tears away, staring at his bright blue eyes. There were tears in his eyes, too. I like to think that he thought of Prim as his own little sister as well. He was always so sweet and caring to her. Yet another thing I owe him for. I will never stop owing him.

Realizing that I just had a meltdown while making a cake of all things, I blush and play with my hands. Peeta grabs my hands in his and kisses them. I move our hands up and brush some of his blonde curls out of his face. He needs a haircut. He smiles at me, and I can't help but feel a warm sensation in my stomach. His smiles has gotten my through the darkest of times. Peeta pulls me close and kisses my forehead. "We're going to make it, Katniss. It's over. I know you're still hurting. I am, too. But we're getting there. We're healing, we're healing…" I think he was chanting this more for himself than me, but it still helped. I turn and kiss him lightly on the lips. "I love you, Peeta, so much. I just will never understand why you love me," I say. "Simply because I love you. And that's what we do- protect each other," he says simply. He pulls me into a tight hug and I never want to let go. "Come on, let's finish this thing," Peeta says, pointing to the cake. I smile at him, knowing that we will get through this.

A/N: Okay, what did you guys think? Please review! And suggestions would be lovely! Sorry that this chapter kind of had some drama in it, but it was bound to happen. Chapter 4 should be up by tomorrow probably. Reviews= love! Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

A Day at the Bakery: Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello my lovely readers! Thank you so much for keeping up with this story. And thank you so much for the lovely reviews. They are all so sweet! I really hope I can keep it up because you guys seem to like it. I'm busy tomorrow so there might not be an update, but stay with me, because it will be up soon. **

Previously:

"Simply because I love you. And that's what we do- protect each other," he says simply. He pulls me into a tight hug and I never want to let go. "Come on, let's finish this thing," Peeta says, pointing to the cake. I smile at him, knowing that we will get through this.

I walk with him back to the table and wipe my hands on my apron. He comes up Peeta comes up behind me again and shows me how to smear frosting so make it look smooth. "You got it Katniss," he smiles at me when we finish. I smile back at him and kiss his cheek.

"Thank you for showing me, Peeta. I had such a good time today," I said to him. Peeta stared back at me with his beautiful blue eyes. God, they were gorgeous, unlike my dull gray Seam eyes. I had no idea what he saw in them.

Peeta takes my waist and pulls me to him. "No, no, sweetheart. Thank _you_," he says as he kisses my neck playfully. I will never get tired of that feeling. It sends chills down my spine. "Now, do you think we should display it in the window, or take it home with us so we can marvel at its beauty?" Peeta jokingly asks. I roll my eyes and slap him playfully on the shoulder.

"Let's just take the damn thing home. I don't people to think that you actually make these types of things here. That's just bad business, I joke as Peeta puts the disaster of a cake into a take- home box. I smile as I watch Peeta clean up our mess that our little adventure made. It's so peaceful to me, watching him work. His face is so concentrated, almost peaceful even. It's amazing to see how passionate Peeta gets about the things he loves. Even cleaning up the bakery.

This only led to thoughts about him and me. _Is he passionate about me? Does he feel this way about me? Because I sure feel that way about him. The way he kissed me today…I want him to do it again and never stop…_

My thought were surprisingly stopped by Peeta calling me back to reality. "Hmm..? What, Peeta?" I ask, trying to shake my head. He was always filling my thoughts lately.

"I said, 'Are you ready to go home?' I finished cleaning up. Thought you might want to head back. And there's not much left here to do anyways that the staff can't handle. You ready?" I shake my head and take his hand, soaking in his ever- lasting blinding smile. In his other hand is our little masterpiece.

Peeta swings our hands between us as we walk and I smile. I haven't felt this…at peace, in such a long time. Before my father died. That seems ages ago, now. But here, with Peeta, I feel like I can move on, and really live for what we fought for in the rebellion. When we reach Peeta's house, he tucks some hair behind my ear and smiles. I learn my face into his hand and move to kiss his palm. He then leads us inside and starts making dinner.

Later that night, when we're lying in bed, Peeta turns to me. "You love me. Real or not real?"

And I say the only thing that makes any sense, and for once, the truth: "Real."

**A/N: Thank you all so much for following this story! This was my first fan fic and I had a lot of fun writing it! Sorry that this chapter was kind of short, but the title was "A Day at the Bakery," not, "A Day at the Bakery and then Several Other Days After." I really hope to write more very soon. Please, advice is always welcome and critiques! Leave a note in reviews if you would read another story of mine. I haven't exactly decided if I want to or not because I'm not sure if people would read it. Thank you! :D**


	5. A Very Happy Update!

Okay, sorry, yet another "not chapter." But I think you lovely people will be excited to know that, after over a year, I have decided to continue this story! Some inspiration hit and I felt like I was not ready to leave the Next Day at the Bakery universe. The next chapter should be up in the next few days or so! :)

~claryfraying


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